Dice cup



Nov. 11, 1941. M, UBERSON l 2,262,642

DICE CUP Filed Feb. '7, 1940 Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATELNT OFHCE.- Y.

DICE CUP Michael Liberson,y Chicago, Ili.

Application February 7, 1940, Serial No. 317,707 2 Claims. (o1. 27a- 145) My invention contemplates and provides a dice cup for use in playing various games of amusement, which is so constructed as to prevent unfair manipulation of the dice.

Some dice game players become adept, even expert, in defeating the natural odds of play by palrning dice and predetermining their throw. For example, when such a player picks up the dice from the playing board, one of the dice is segregated from the other dice and palmed in the hand with which the dice cup is shaken. A die is chosen which has its numbered face down which the -player wishes the die to present when it is thrown. 'Ihe hand with which the dice cup is shaken, and in which the segregated die is palmed, is generally placed over Athe mouth of the dice cup. The palmed die is then held by this hand against the inside rim of the cup and is not shaken with the other dice. When the dice are thrown, the palmed die is expertly rolled or laid on the playing board, turning through 180 degrees from the position it had when held against the rim of the cup. v

Another method of predetermining thethrow of dice is generally even more difficult to detect than the first mentioned method. In such latter method, the dice are picked up from the playing board with both hands and one of the dice is segregated in the hand with which the player shakes the dice cup. The player palms a die which has the numbered face down which the player desires to throw. After the player has shaken the dice, the dice cup is transferred to the other hand for the throw. As the transfer takes place, the segregated die is slipped along the outside of the dice cup to the bottom thereof and held there.- against by the hand with which the throw is made. As the throw is made, the segregated or palmed die is laid on the playing surface with the numbered face showing that the player has predetermined.

A salient feature and advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of annular ridges running around the outside periphery of the dice cup for preventing a player from slipping a die along the outside of the dice cup from the top to the bottom thereof.

Another important feature and advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of ridges along the upper rim and bottom edge of the cup for preventing manipulation of the dice at these locations.

Another important feature and advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of diagonally extending ribs on the inside of the dice cup to prevent a player from holding a die against the inside rim of the cup as the dice are being thrown and to insure that the dice are rolled or tumbled as they are ejected from the box.

Another important feature and advantage of the present invention is the provision of a dice cup constructed of plastic material such as rubber or the like which is stifened around the upper rim of the cup without adding substantially to the thickness thereof.

Still another feature and advantage of the present invention is the provision of a dice cup embodying the objects described which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and which may be heldin a players hand without inconvenience.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description, having reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the dice cup of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the dice cup-of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional .view taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar -characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, I0 indicates the body of the dice cup of my invention, such body being preferably made of moulded rubber or other preferably iiexible, plastic composition. The cup may, of course, be constructed of leather or the like. Around the upper rim of the cup extends the annular metal supporting ring II which has its upper and lower edges bent around the moulded annular shoulder I2 of the dice `cup body Ill. The metal supporting ring II is adapted to strengthen the upper end vof the flexible cup to prevent it from being squeezed out of its normal cylindrical shape without adding materially to the weight or mass of the cup. Spaced from the annular supporting ring I I and the annular base ange I3 are a plurality of annular ridges III extending around the outside of the body I0. Two such ridges III are shown in the preferred construction illustrated in the figures, butit is understood, of course, that a greater or lesser number of such ridges may be used if desired. The annular base flange I3 and the annular ridges I4 are preferably integral with the body vof the Adice cup shown of the cup I0 when such cup is made of moulded rubber or other plastic composition. y Such ridges I4 and flange I3 may be separately secured to the. body I0 of the dice cup when such b odyis made of leather or the like.

The ridgesv I4 are preferably of vsemicircular cross section, the radius of such circle being approximately M3". The size of these ridges may, of course, be varied provided they are sufliciently large so as to obstruct the passage of a die moved along the outside surface of the cup, and provided they are small enough so as not to interfere with the convenient handling of the cup.

v Extending diagonally upward on the inside of the cup from the bottom thereof (somewhat as v kshown in Markens Patent No. 1,103,366) -isa plurality of ridges I5, each of the ridges I5 being spaced approximately5/8 of an inch from each other. l It is important, however, that near the upper portion of the inside of the cup these 'diagonally extending ridges .I5 change their direction and extend diagonally'toward the rim vof the cup in a direction at an angle of approximately 90 degrees more or less to that in which l they extended in thev lower Aportion of the, cup.

If the ridges I5 continued in the same direction to the rim, an adept player could support a die inthe space between two ridges, or, if the ridges were close together, a die could be supported on twovadjacent ridges. `In the drawing it will be noted that the terminus I6 of each ridge at the lip of the cup is on a vertical line spaced from the corner I 1 where the next ridge I5 changes its ,-direction. Hence at no place at the lip of the Ithan the ridges I4. 4ficiently large to insure tumbling of the dice as cup is it feasible to support a die to accomplish an inside palming as described previously herein.

The ridges l5 are preferably slightly smaller They need only be suflevent that a player should attempt to so palm. `a

readily apparent and easy to detect because the l ridges I4 and 4flanges I2 and I3 break up the as shown on' the insideof the cup could be utilized tof-the'lip in a directionapproxiinately at rightv ridges.

outer surface of the cup, leaving no surface on which the palming can covertly be eifected.

Similarly, the diagonal ridges I5 on the inside of the rim of the cup will prevent a player from palming a die on such inside rim. The diagonal ridges which are below the upper ridges just described and which extend at an angle to such upper ridges will insure that the dice are rolled or tumbledvas they are ejectedfrom the cup.

The spaced annular ridges I4, as well as the annular base flange I3 and shoulder I2, which function to break the exterior surface of the cup, may take slightly different forms than the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing. For example, knob or button-like projections of sufficient size could be used to break the exterior.

surface of the cup to prevent outside palming. Similarly, diagonally extendingridges somewhat to break the exterior surface of the cup. I prefer, however, the embodiment shown.

Having thus illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I wish to avail myself of all equivalent embodiments as defined by the appended claims.v I

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1; A dice cup for games having a substantially cylindrical body, an outwardly projectingy annular flange along the upper rim of the cup, and a plurality of relatively large annular ridges about the body of the cup between said flange and the bottom of the cup, said ridges projecting outwardly from the body of the cup substantially asfas as thenannular flange. l

2. A dice cup for games having a substantially cylindrical body, a plurality of spaced ridges on the inside of the cup running diagonally upward in one direction, said'ridges changing direction near the lip of vthe cup and'extendingdiagonally angles to thevdirection' of thelower portionof the MICHAEL LIBERSON. 

